I agree with everything that @beebee3 said and will add a few things.
First, CC is a VERY skewed sample. Don’t believe for a second that the cases you see posted here represent the average student applicant. They don’t.
There is one area of interest that will immediately narrow a list…engineering. There are over 5000 accredited colleges and universities in the US, but only about 500 that offer ABET accredited engineering. That’s still a TON of choices.
We often say a safety should be a school that is a guaranteed admit AND affordable. I’d add a third criteria. They should ideally flip enough levers that @beebee3 mentioned (or what ever is important to your student) that they compete for the top choice, not just content to attend if nothing else pans out. It’s a big mistake to assume the hardest school to get into will be the best fit. My son almost chose to attend the easiest admit on his list.
You are in a WICHE state which means your student is eligible for WUE. There are lots of good schools that participate in that program. Look it up.
Don’t write off high sticker price schools completely. Some are generous with merit and some are very helpful meeting financial need. Do though set financial boundaries (if you have them). It’s important not to fall in love with a school only to get the financial award letter and find it’s out of reach.
Lastly, don’t write off the CSUs. There’s a weird bias against them in CA. As was previously mentioned, you need to dig deep, beyond reputation to learn what the student experience is like. My son chose Cal Poly for engineering from out of state. He had the stats to get into UCB (he had classmates with lower stats that did), but he had no interest in the giant classes and bureaucracy. Look at more than the bumper sticker.
Good luck!